If enlarged adenoids are suspected, the doctor may ask about and then check your child's ears, nose, and throat, and feel the neck along the jaw. To get a really close look, the doctor might order one or more X-rays. For a suspected infection, the doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics.

When Is Surgery Necessary?

If enlarged or infected adenoids keep bothering your child and are not controlled by medication, the doctor may recommend surgically removing them with an adenoidectomy. This may be recommended if your child has one or more of the following:

difficulty breathing

sleep apnea

recurrent infections

ear infections, middle ear fluid, and hearing loss requiring a second or third set of ear tubes

Having your child's adenoids removed is especially important when repeated infections lead to sinus and ear infections. Badly swollen adenoids can interfere with the ability of the middle ear space to stay ventilated. This can sometimes lead to infections or middle ear fluid causing a temporary hearing loss. So kids whose infected adenoids cause frequent earaches and fluid buildup might also need an adenoidectomy at the time of their ear tube surgery.

And although adenoids can be taken out without the tonsils, if your child is having tonsil problems, they may be removed at the same time. A tonsillectomy with an adenoidectomy is a common pediatric operation.

What Happens During Surgery

Surgery, no matter how common or simple the procedure, can be frightening for both kids and parents. You can help prepare your child for surgery by talking about what to expect. During the adenoidectomy:

Your child will receive general anesthesia. This means the surgery will be performed in an operating room so that an anesthesiologist can monitor your child.

Your child will be asleep for about 20 minutes.

The surgeon can get to the tonsils and/or the adenoids through your child's open mouth — there's no need to cut through skin.

The surgeon removes the adenoids and then controls any bleeding.

Your child will wake up in the recovery area. In most cases, a child can go home the same day as the procedure. Some children may need to stay overnight for observation.

The typical recuperation after an adenoidectomy often involves several days of moderate pain and discomfort.

In less than a week after surgery, everything should return to normal and the problems caused by the adenoids should be gone. The adenoid area will heal naturally, which means there are no stitches to worry about. There's a small chance any tissue that's left behind can swell, but it rarely causes new problems.